Wireless communication device with connection restoration and methods for use therewith

ABSTRACT

A wireless communication device includes a wireless charging circuit configurable to receive a wireless power signal from a power transmitting unit and to charge the wireless communication device under control of a processing device and in conjunction with a charging session with the power transmitting unit. A wireless interface device operates under control of the processing device to establish a wireless connection with the power transmitting unit via a connection establishment procedure, wherein the wireless connection is separate from the wireless power signal. Control data is exchanged with the power transmitting unit via the wireless connection, wherein the control data is used by the processing device to implement the charging session with the wireless charging circuit. A response is generated to a disruption event of the wireless communication device that includes implementing a restoration procedure for restoring the wireless connection, without implementing the connection establishment procedure.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present U.S. Utility patent application claims priority pursuant to35 U.S.C. §120 as a continuation of U.S. Utility application Ser. No.13/965,957, entitled “WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE WITH CONNECTIONRESTORATION AND METHODS FOR USE THEREWITH”, filed Aug. 13, 2013, whichclaims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/859,492, entitled “WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE WITHCONNECTION RESTORATION AND METHODS FOR USE THEREWITH”, filed Jul. 29,2013, both of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in theirentirety and made part of the present U.S. Utility patent applicationfor all purposes.

BACKGROUND TECHNICAL FIELD

Various embodiments relate generally to wireless communication systemsand also to wireless charging of devices.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

Communication systems are known to support wireless and wirelinecommunications between wireless and/or wireline communication devices.Such communication systems range from national and/or internationalcellular telephone systems to the Internet to point-to-point in-homewireless networks. Each type of communication system is constructed, andhence operates, in accordance with one or more communication standards.For instance, wireless communication systems may operate in accordancewith one or more standards including, but not limited to, IEEE 802.11,Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), advanced mobile phone services(AMPS), digital AMPS, global system for mobile communications (GSM),code division multiple access (CDMA), local multi-point distributionsystems (LMDS), multi-channel-multi-point distribution systems (MMDS),and/or variations thereof.

The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) has promulgated a baselinesystems specification for interoperability of loosely coupled wirelesspower transfer for portable, handheld electronic devices. Thisspecification supports a 6.78 MHz for power transfers and a 2.4 GHzoperating frequency for management data transfers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a wirelesscommunication system;

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a wirelesscharging system;

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a wirelesscommunication device;

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a powertransmitting unit and a power receiving unit;

FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of a wirelesscommunication device;

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a wirelessinterface device;

FIG. 7 is a timing diagram that illustrates an embodiment of connectionrestoration;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart representation an embodiment of a method;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart representation an embodiment of a method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a communication system10 that includes a plurality of access points 12-16, a plurality ofwireless communication devices 18-32 and a network hardware component 34(for example, a bridge, switch or router). The wireless communicationdevices 18-32 may be laptop host computers 18 and 26, tablet hosts 20and 30, personal computer hosts 24 and 32, cellular telephone hosts 22and 28 and/or other wireless devices.

The access points 12-16 are operably coupled to the network hardware 34via local area network connections 36, 38 and 40. The network hardware34, which may be a router, switch, bridge, modem, system controller,etc., provides a wide area network connection 42 for the communicationsystem 10. Each of the access points 12-16 has an associated antenna orantenna array to communicate with the wireless communication devices inits area. Typically, the wireless communication devices register with aparticular access point 12-16 to receive services from the communicationsystem 10. For direct connections (i.e., point-to-point communications),wireless communication devices communicate directly via agreed uponfrequencies.

Typically, access points 12-16 are used for in-home or in-buildingwireless networks however, base stations can similarly be employed, forinstance, for cellular telephone systems and like-type systems.Regardless of the particular type of communication system, each wirelesscommunication device includes a built-in radio and/or is coupled to aradio.

In an embodiment, one or more of the communication devices 18, 20, 22,24, 26, 28, 30 and 32 operate over an additional wireless network, suchas a wireless personal area network. For example, the access points 12,14 and 16 could operate in accordance with a wireless local area networkprotocol such as an IEEE 802.11 protocol and one or more wirelesscommunication devices 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 and 32 could operateusing Bluetooth. In this case, IEEE 802.11 and Bluetooth communicationscould both use the 2.4 GHz frequency band. For instance, the laptop host18 may communicate via Bluetooth technology such as Classic Bluetooth(IEEE 802.15.1) Bluetooth LE (Bluetooth 4.0) or other Bluetoothtechnology with a keyboard, a mouse, a printer, a mobile phone, atablet, and/or a set of headphones or speakers. These devices and thelaptop host 18 may form an ad-hoc Bluetooth piconet. Generally, aBluetooth piconet may comprise a master device or terminal and up toseven slave devices or terminals. In this exemplary implementation, thelaptop host 18 may correspond to the master Bluetooth terminal and becoupled to one or more the peripheral devices, such as a headset,printer, keyboard, pointing device or other peripheral devices that maycorrespond to the slave Bluetooth terminals. Similarly, cell phone host22 could communicate via Bluetooth technology with a Bluetooth headsetand place wireless telephone calls, such as a voice over IP call placedvia an access point or via 3G or 4G call placed via a base station.

In an embodiment, wireless connections are established between two ormore wireless communication devices 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 and/or32. The process of establishing a wireless connection between twodevices can include several steps involving the exchange of information.In Bluetooth LE, for example, when the connection is disrupted, forexample by a system reset of a device, the device would respond byrestarting its advertisement. Supervision timeout on the peer devicewould meanwhile occur. The peer device would thereafter re-issue aconnection request after seeing the new advertisement. In 802.11, theassociation process between a station and an access point also requiresinformation to be exchanged between the access point and the station. Ifthe wireless connection is lost because, for example, a disruptionoccurs in communication or one device unilaterally drops the connection,the connection establishment is repeated.

In an embodiment, a wireless communication device is able to implement arestoration procedure that restores a wireless connection withoutrepeating the full connection establishment. When a disrupting eventoccurs, such as a system reset or other disruption, one or moreconnection events as well as link synchronization information might bemissing on the disrupted device. Once the disrupted device comes backonline, instead of advertising again for new connection establishment,the device restores the wireless connection with the other device,before the other device drops the connection. For example, the disrupteddevice can open up a wide reception window on the expected channel tostrive for the estimated connection event before the supervision timeoutexpires on the other device. When this succeeds, the other device isagnostic of the disruption.

The wireless communication devices 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 and/or 32can include one or more features of the various embodiments described ingreater detail with reference to FIGS. 2-9.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a wirelesscharging system. The embodiments described in conjunction with FIG. 1were primarily directed to wireless connection used directly to carrynetwork communications to and from a wireless communication device—suchas real-time or non-real-time voice and data communications. Theprinciples of various embodiments described herein also haveapplicability to wireless connections used primarily for other purposessuch as control signaling, administrative links, etc. An example of sucha system is presented where a wireless connection is used in conjunctionwith a wireless charging system.

A power transmitting unit 200 is shown for wirelessly charging a numberof wireless devices such as laptop host 26, tablet host 30 and/orcellphone host 28. While specific devices are shown, the wirelesscommunication devices 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 and/or 32 andcorresponding peripheral devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, aprinter, a microphone, headset, headphones, speakers or other peripheralcan each be wirelessly charged via a power transmitting unit, such as apower transmitting unit 200. While shown as a separate device, the powertransmitting unit 200 can be incorporated in a server, an access point,an article of furniture, or any other device that can be placed or isotherwise located in proximity to the devices to be charged.

In one example of operation, power transmitting unit (PTU) 200 canoperate in accordance with a loosely coupled wireless power transferspecification such as the A4WP baseline system specification 1.0 (BSS1.0) or other wireless power transfer technology. In this embodiment,the laptop host 26, tablet host 30 and/or cellphone host 28 operates asa power receiving unit (PRU). In this example, a 6.78 MHZ signal is sentfrom the power transmitting unit 200 to the PRUs to transfer energy tocharge each device in conjunction with a charging session for eachdevice. Control information is exchanged between the PTU 200 and each ofthe PTUs via a 2.4 GHz Bluetooth LE compatible link to control the powertransfer to the PRU.

In operation, a wireless connection is established been the PTU 200 anda corresponding wireless communication device such as laptop host 26,tablet host 30 or cellphone host 28 via Bluetooth LE. If a disruptingevent occurs at the wireless communication device, such as a systemreset or other disruption, the wireless communication device is able toimplement a restoration procedure that restores a wireless connectionwithout repeating the full connection establishment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a wirelesscommunication device. A wireless communication device, such as 18, 20,22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32 or an associated peripheral device includes thehost module 300 and one or more at least one wireless interface devices357 and 359. The wireless interface devices 357 and 359 can beimplemented via a wireless interface circuit with a single integratedcircuit, or built in components of the host module 300, externallycoupled components or part of a common integrated circuit that includeshost module 300 and the components of the wireless interface devices 357or 359.

As illustrated, the host module 300 includes a processing module 350,memory 352, power receiving unit 325, output interface 356, inputinterface 358, and radio interfaces 354 and 355. The processing module350 and memory 352 execute the corresponding instructions that aretypically performed by the wireless communication device 18, 20, 22, 24,26, 28, 30, 32 or an associated peripheral device. For example, for acellular telephone, tablet, Bluetooth device or WLAN node the processingmodule 350 performs the corresponding communication functions inaccordance with a particular cellular telephone, Bluetooth or WLANstandard.

In the embodiment shown, the power receiving unit 325 wirelessly coupleswith a PTU, such as PTU 200 to implement wireless charging of thewireless communication device. In this embodiment, power receiving unit325 includes a wireless charging circuit (WCC) 340 to receive wirelesspower transfers from the PTU and to charge the battery of the wirelesscommunication device. The PRU 325 also includes a dedicated wirelessradio unit (WRU) 345 to directly engage in the exchange of control datavia a wireless connection. In an additional embodiment that is describedfurther in conjunction with FIG. 5, the functionality of the WRU 345 isimplemented via other radio components of the wireless communicationdevice.

In one example of operation, PRU 325 operates in accordance with aloosely coupled wireless power transfer specification such as the A4WPbaseline system specification 1.0 (BSS 1.0) or other wireless powertransfer technology. In this example, a 6.78 MHZ signal is sent from thepower transmitting unit 200 to the PRU 325 to transfer energy to chargethe wireless communication device in conjunction with a chargingsession. Control information is exchanged between the PTU 200 and eachof the PRU 325 via a 2.4 GHz Bluetooth LE compatible link to control thepower transfer from the PTU to the PRU 325.

The radio interfaces 354 and 355 each communicate with a processingmodule 350 of the corresponding wireless interface device 357 or 359.These processing modules include a media-specific access controlprotocol (MAC) layer module and other processing functionality tosupport the features and functions of the particular wireless protocolemployed by the wireless interface device and optionally to furtherperform additional functions and features of various embodiments asdescribed herein.

The wireless interface devices 357 and 359 can include adigital-to-analog converter (DAC), an analog to digital converter (ADC),and a physical layer module (PHY) that operate via a cellular telephonestandard such as a 3G or 4G or other standard, an 802.11 standard, aBluetooth standard or in accordance with one or more other communicationprotocols. The radio interfaces 354 and 355 allow data to be receivedfrom and transmitted to external devices via the wireless interfacedevices 357 and 359 and antenna section 361. Antenna section 361 caninclude a single antenna or a plurality of antennas and appropriateimpedance matching circuitry, diplexers, switches and or othercomponents to couple the antenna section to the wireless interfacedevices 357 and 359. For example, the wireless communication device maybe a personal or laptop computer, the external device may be an accesspoint, base station, headset, personal digital assistant, cellulartelephone, printer, fax machine, joystick, keyboard, or desktoptelephone.

For data received from one of the wireless interface devices 357 or 359(e.g., inbound data), the radio interface 354 or 355 provides the datato the processing module 350 for further processing and/or routing tothe output interface 356. The output interface 356 provides connectivityto an output display device such as a display, monitor, speakers, etc.such that the received data may be displayed. The radio interfaces 354and 355 also provide data from the processing module 350 to the wirelessinterface devices 357 and 359. The processing module 350 may receive theoutbound data from an input device such as a keyboard, keypad,microphone, etc. via the input interface 358 or generate the dataitself. For data received via the input interface 358, the processingmodule 350 may perform a corresponding host function on the data and/orroute it to one of the wireless interface devices 357 or 359 via thecorresponding radio interface 354 or 355.

Processing module 350 can be implemented using a shared processingdevice, individual processing devices, or a plurality of processingdevices. Such a processing device may be a microprocessor,micro-controller, digital signal processor, microcomputer, centralprocessing unit, field programmable gate array, programmable logicdevice, state machine, logic circuitry, analog circuitry, digitalcircuitry, and/or any device that manipulates signals (analog and/ordigital) based on operational instructions. The memory 352 may be asingle memory device or a plurality of memory devices. Such a memorydevice may be a read-only memory, random access memory, volatile memory,non-volatile memory, static memory, dynamic memory, flash memory, and/orany device that stores digital information. Note that when theprocessing module 350 implements one or more of its functions via astate machine, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or logiccircuitry, the memory storing the corresponding operational instructionsis embedded with the circuitry comprising the state machine, analogcircuitry, digital circuitry, and/or logic circuitry. While a particularbus architecture is presented in conjunction with bus 301, otherarchitectures are likewise possible.

In operation, the wireless charging circuit 340 receives a wirelesspower signal from a PTU, such as PTU 200, to charge the wirelesscommunication device under control of the processing module 350 or adedicated processor of PRU 325 and in conjunction with a chargingsession with the PTU. The WRU 345 operates under control of theprocessing module 350 or a dedicated processor of PRU 325 to establish awireless connection with the PTU via a connection establishmentprocedure. The WRU 345 exchanges control data with the powertransmitting unit via the wireless connection. The processing module 350or a dedicated processor of PRU 325 uses the control data to implementthe charging session between the PTU and the WCC 340.

When a disruption event occurs that creates a unilateral disconnectionof the wireless connection from the power transmitting unit—such as asystem reset in the processing module 350 or a dedicated processor ofPRU 325 or other disruption, the WRU 345 responds by implementing arestoration procedure in an attempt to restore the wireless connection.If the wireless connection can be restored prior to expiration of asupervisory time out period of the PTU, there is no need to implement afull connection establishment procedure. Considering again the casewhere the wireless connection is a Bluetooth LE compatible link, therestoration operates without the normal advertisement, inquiry and/orpage procedures associated with standard connection establishment.Further, the charging session can continue during the disruption event.If the WRU 345 determines that the restoration procedure fails torestore the wireless connection—the standard connection establishmentprocedure can be implemented in response.

While the connection restoration procedures have been described above inconjunction with the operation of PRU 325, these procedures can also beemployed in other wireless connections established in conjunction withwireless interface devices 357 and 359.

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a powertransmitting unit and a power receiving unit. In particular, PTU 200includes a transmit resonator 400, matching circuit 402, power amplifier404, power supply 406, processing device 408 and wireless radio unit410. PRU 325 includes a wireless charging circuit 340 that includes areceive resonator 420, a rectifier 422, a DC-to-DC converter 424, a hostpower source 426 a processing device 428. In addition, PRU 325 includesthe wireless radio unit 345 as previously described.

In operation, the wireless charging circuit 340 receives a wirelesspower signal from PTU 200 to charge the host power source 426 undercontrol of the processing device 428. The WRU 345 also operates undercontrol of the processing device 428 to establish a wireless connectionwith the WRU 410 of PTU 200 via a connection establishment procedure.The WRU 345 exchanges control data with the power transmitting unit 200via the wireless connection to establish a charging session. Processingdevice 408 controls the operation of power supply 406 and poweramplifier 404 to generate an RF power signal. The matching circuit 402couples the RF power signal to the transmit resonator 400 fortransmission. The RF power signal is received by the receive resonator420, rectified by rectifier 422 and converted into a DC charging signalby DC-to-DC converter 424 for charging of the host power source 426.Processing device 428 monitors and controls the charging to, forexample, avoid over-voltage and under-voltage conditions, hightemperature events, and/or other detrimental conditions. Thefunctionality ascribed to processing device 428 can be implemented viaprocessing module 350 or via one or more separate processing devices.

FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of a wirelesscommunication device. In particular, a wireless communication device ispresented that includes many similar elements and features described inconjunction with FIG. 3 that are referred to by common referencenumerals. In this embodiment, host module 300′ operates in a similarfashion to host module 300. However, the wireless charging circuit 340is coupled to bus 301 and the functionality of the wireless radio unit345 is implemented in conjunction with either the wireless interfacedevice 357 or wireless interface device 359. In this fashion, anexisting wireless interface device 357 or 359 can be used or reused forthis purpose.

Consider again the example where the WCC 340 operates in accordance witha loosely coupled wireless power transfer specification such as the A4WPbaseline system specification 1.0 (BSS 1.0) or other wireless powertransfer technology. Control information is exchanged between the WCC340 and the PTU 200 via a 2.4 GHz Bluetooth LE compatible linkimplemented via wireless interface device 357 or 359. In this fashion, asmartphone with an existing Bluetooth radio can use this radio fortraditional Bluetooth communication as well as wireless connection inconjunction with wireless charging via wireless charging circuit 340.Further the connection restoration procedures previously described inconjunction with FIGS. 1-4 can be employed not only in the operation ofBluetooth LE used in conjunction with wireless charging, but in otherwireless connections established in conjunction with wireless interfacedevices 357 and 359.

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a wirelessinterface device. In particular, wireless interface device 357 or 359includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 666, a filtering/gainmodule 668, an IF mixing down conversion stage 670, a receiver filter671, a low noise amplifier 672, a transmitter/receiver switch a localoscillation module 674, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 678, afiltering/gain module 680, an IF mixing up conversion stage 682, a poweramplifier 684, and a transmitter filter module 685. Thetransmitter/receiver switch is coupled to a single antenna of theantenna section 361. Alternatively, the antenna section 361 may includeseparate antennas for the transmit path and receive path of eachwireless interface device 357 or 359.

Returning to the discussion of FIGS. 3 and 5, the processing module 350can execute digital receiver functions and digital transmitter functionsin accordance with a particular wireless communication standard via oneor more dedicated processors or via a shared processor. The digitalreceiver functions can include, but are not limited to, digitalintermediate frequency to baseband conversion, demodulation,constellation demapping, decoding, and/or descrambling. The digitaltransmitter functions include, but are not limited to, scrambling,encoding, constellation mapping, modulation, and/or digital baseband toIF conversion. In operation, outbound data from the host module 300 isprocessed in accordance with a particular wireless communicationstandard (e.g., IEEE 802.11 including all current and futuresubsections, Bluetooth, etcetera) to produce digital transmissionformatted data that is received via the radio interface 354 or 355. Thedigital transmission formatted data can be a digital base-band signal ora digital low IF signal, where the low IF typically will be in thefrequency range of one hundred kilohertz to a few megahertz. Thedigital-to-analog converter 678 converts the digital transmissionformatted data from the digital domain to the analog domain. Thefiltering/gain module 680 filters and/or adjusts the gain of the analogsignal prior to providing it to the IF mixing stage 682. The IF mixingstage 682 directly converts the analog baseband or low IF signal into anRF signal based on a transmitter local oscillation 683 provided by localoscillation module 674. The power amplifier 684 amplifies the RF signalto produce an outbound RF signal, which is filtered by the transmitterfilter module 685. The antenna section 361 transmits the outbound RFsignal to a targeted device such as a base station, an access point,peripheral PTU 200 and/or another wireless communication device.

The wireless interface device 357 or 359 also receives an inbound RFsignal via the antenna section 361, which was transmitted by a basestation, an access point, PTU 200 or another wireless communicationdevice. The antenna section 361 provides the inbound RF signal to thereceiver filter module 671 via the Tx/Rx switch, where the Rx filter 671bandpass filters the inbound RF signal. The Rx filter 671 provides thefiltered RF signal to low noise amplifier 672, which amplifies thesignal to produce an amplified inbound RF signal. The low noiseamplifier 672 provides the amplified inbound RF signal to the IF mixingmodule 670, which directly converts the amplified inbound RF signal intoan inbound low IF signal or baseband signal based on a receiver localoscillation 681 provided by local oscillation module 674. The downconversion module 670 provides the inbound low IF signal or basebandsignal to the filtering/gain module 668. The filtering/gain module 668filters and/or gains the inbound low IF signal or the inbound basebandsignal to produce a filtered inbound signal.

The analog-to-digital converter 666 converts the filtered inbound signalfrom the analog domain to the digital domain to produce digitalreception formatted data. This data is passed via radio interface 354 or355 to processing module 350 which decodes, descrambles, demaps, and/ordemodulates the digital reception formatted data to recapture inbounddata in accordance with the particular wireless communication standardbeing implemented by wireless interface device.

While FIG. 6 shows the wireless interface devices 357 and 359 as beingimplemented with separate components, one or more modules or componentsof these devices can be implemented with shared components that operatefor both wireless interface devices. For instance, a single LNA 672 andRX filter module 671 can be used by wireless interface devices 357 and359 to filter and amplify inbound RF signals, a single referenceoscillator, such as a crystal oscillator, can be used in localoscillation modules 674 of both wireless interface devices as the basisfor generating separate local oscillation signals 681 and 683, etcetera.

FIG. 7 is a timing diagram that illustrates an embodiment of connectionrestoration. Separate lines are used to indicate receive and transmitperiods of two different communication devices, Device #1 and Device #2,that have already established a wireless connection. In this embodiment,the wireless connection includes a plurality of frequency hops (f1, f2,f3, f4, f5, f6, . . . ) occurring in a corresponding plurality of hopintervals, in the case represented by connection interval 710.

In the first connection interval of normal communication 700, Device #1transmits and Device #2 receives in a first portion of the connectioninterval via frequency channel f1. This is followed by a second portionof the interval where Device #2 transmits and Device #1 receives viafrequency channel f1. Normal communication 700 continues with a shift tofrequency channel f2 where Device #1 transmits and Device #2receives—however this interval is interrupted by a disruption event 702that disrupts the operation of Device #2. While Device #1 continues onwith a normal transmission and reception schedule, however transmissionand reception by Device #2 ceases during this period of time.

When Device #2 emerges from the disruption event 702, it implements arestoration procedure in an attempt to restore the wireless connectionwithout performing a reestablishment. The restoration procedure predictsa subsequent frequency hop (f5) of Device #1. The subsequent frequencyhop (f5) can be predicted based on, for example, the expiration of thesupervisory time out period of the power transmitting unit that definesthe time the device waits to drop an established connection in responseto inactivity of the connection. Other information, if available can beused in the prediction. For example, frequencies of one or more pastfrequency hops that occurred prior to the disruption and/or a pattern offrequency hops can be used in prediction along with any timinginformation that may be available. In this case, Device #1 received onlya partial response in connection intervals corresponding to f2. If, forexample, Device #1 would time out the wireless connection after fourunsuccessful connection intervals, Device #2 predicts that Device #1will transmit at frequency f5 in the last connection interval before theexpiration of its supervisory time out period.

Device #2 implements an extended reception window to wait for Device #1to transmit at f5 during a subsequent connection interval. This extendedwindow has a longer duration than the standard duration and is used towait for Device #1 to transmit during a subsequent connection intervalat this frequency. The communication restoration interval 704 ends whenDevice #2 detects the transmission from Device #2 and subsequentlytransmits its own response at f5. Normal communication 706 continues atthat point.

Consider the example where Device #1 is a PTU 200 and Device #2 is awireless communication device that includes or operates as a PRU aspreviously described. The A4WP specification defines a 250 ms connectioninterval 710 and a 1 second supervision timeout. When the connection onthe PRU is disrupted, for example by a system reset, conventional PRUswould respond by restarting advertisement. Supervision timeout on thePTU would meanwhile occur. The PTU would thereafter re-issue aconnection request after seeing the new advertisement as part of thestandard connection establishment procedure.

In the case of wireless communication devices described in conjunctionwith FIGS. 1-6 however, the PRU implements a restoration procedure.Depending on how much time is left after a unilateral disconnectionoccurs on the PRU, the PRU may choose not to restart the completeconnection procedure. Instead, PRU predicts when a supervisory timeoutis expected to occur based on the time of the disruption event. The PRUlooks to detect the last hop connection event from the PTU (theconnection interval corresponding to hop frequency f5) before unilateraldisconnection by the PTU. PRU resynchronizes with the PTU upon thedetection of such an event. The connection is therefore restored whilethe PTU is unaware of the disruption—and charging can persistent.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart representation an embodiment of a method. Inparticular, a method is presented for use in conjunction with one ormore features and functions described in conjunction with FIGS. 1-7.Step 800 includes establishing a wireless connection with a powertransmitting unit via a connection establishment procedure, step 802includes exchanging control data with the power transmitting unit viathe wireless connection. Step 804 includes receiving a wireless powersignal, from the power transmitting unit, via a wireless chargingcircuit, wherein the wireless power signal is separate from the wirelessconnection. Step 806 includes implementing a charging session betweenthe power transmitting unit and the wireless charging circuit inaccordance with the control data to charge the wireless communicationdevice. Step 808 includes responding to a disruption event of thewireless communication device, wherein the disruption event creates aunilateral disconnection of the wireless connection from powertransmitting unit, and wherein the responding includes implementing arestoration procedure for restoring the wireless connection with thepower transmitting unit without implementing the connectionestablishment procedure.

In an embodiment, the wireless charging session is in accordance with anAlliance for Wireless Power specification and the wireless connection isformatted in accordance with a Bluetooth Low Energy protocol. Thedisruption event can include a system reset of the wirelesscommunication device. The charging session can continue during thedisruption event. Restoring the wireless connection includes restoringthe wireless connection before expiration of a supervisory time outperiod of the power transmitting unit. The wireless connection caninclude a plurality of frequency hops occurring in a correspondingplurality of hop intervals, and restoring the wireless connection caninclude predicting a subsequent frequency hop of the power transmittingunit. The subsequent frequency hop can be predicted based on reviewing apast frequency hop that occurred prior to the disruption event andpredicting the subsequent frequency hop based on the past frequency hopand the supervisory time out period of the power transmitting unit.Restoring the wireless connection can include extending a receptionwindow beyond a standard duration used in a standard wireless connectioninterval.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart representation an embodiment of a method. Inparticular, a method is presented for use in conjunction with one ormore features and functions described in conjunction with FIGS. 1-8.Step 900 includes determining when the restoration procedure fails torestore the wireless connection, and implementing the connectionestablishment procedure in response thereto.

As may also be used herein, the term(s) “operably coupled to”, “coupledto”, and/or “coupling” includes direct coupling between items and/orindirect coupling between items via an intervening item (e.g., an itemincludes, but is not limited to, a component, an element, a circuit,and/or a module) where, for indirect coupling, the intervening item doesnot modify the information of a signal but may adjust its current level,voltage level, and/or power level. As may further be used herein,inferred coupling (i.e., where one element is coupled to another elementby inference) includes direct and indirect coupling between two items inthe same manner as “coupled to”. As may even further be used herein, theterm “operable to” or “operably coupled to” indicates that an itemincludes one or more of power connections, input(s), output(s), etc., toperform, when activated, one or more its corresponding functions and mayfurther include inferred coupling to one or more other items. As maystill further be used herein, the term “associated with”, includesdirect and/or indirect coupling of separate items and/or one item beingembedded within another item.

As may also be used herein, the terms “processing module”, “module”,“processing circuit”, and/or “processing unit” (e.g., including variousmodules and/or circuitries such as may be operative, implemented, and/orfor encoding, for decoding, for baseband processing, etc.) may be asingle processing device or a plurality of processing devices. Such aprocessing device may be a microprocessor, micro-controller, digitalsignal processor, microcomputer, central processing unit, fieldprogrammable gate array, programmable logic device, state machine, logiccircuitry, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or any device thatmanipulates signals (analog and/or digital) based on hard coding of thecircuitry and/or operational instructions. The processing module,module, processing circuit, and/or processing unit may have anassociated memory and/or an integrated memory element, which may be asingle memory device, a plurality of memory devices, and/or embeddedcircuitry of the processing module, module, processing circuit, and/orprocessing unit. Such a memory device may be a read-only memory (ROM),random access memory (RAM), volatile memory, non-volatile memory, staticmemory, dynamic memory, flash memory, cache memory, and/or any devicethat stores digital information. Note that if the processing module,module, processing circuit, and/or processing unit includes more thanone processing device, the processing devices may be centrally located(e.g., directly coupled together via a wired and/or wireless busstructure) or may be distributedly located (e.g., cloud computing viaindirect coupling via a local area network and/or a wide area network).Further note that if the processing module, module, processing circuit,and/or processing unit implements one or more of its functions via astate machine, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or logiccircuitry, the memory and/or memory element storing the correspondingoperational instructions may be embedded within, or external to, thecircuitry comprising the state machine, analog circuitry, digitalcircuitry, and/or logic circuitry. Still further note that, the memoryelement may store, and the processing module, module, processingcircuit, and/or processing unit executes, hard coded and/or operationalinstructions corresponding to at least some of the steps and/orfunctions illustrated in one or more of the Figures. Such a memorydevice or memory element can be included in an article of manufacture.

Various embodiments have been described above with the aid of methodsteps illustrating the performance of specified functions andrelationships thereof. The boundaries and sequence of these functionalbuilding blocks and method steps have been arbitrarily defined hereinfor convenience of description. Alternate boundaries and sequences canbe defined so long as the specified functions and relationships areappropriately performed. Any such alternate boundaries or sequences arethus within the scope and spirit of the claims. Further, the boundariesof these functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined forconvenience of description. Alternate boundaries could be defined aslong as the certain significant functions are appropriately performed.Similarly, flow diagram blocks may also have been arbitrarily definedherein to illustrate certain significant functionality. To the extentused, the flow diagram block boundaries and sequence could have beendefined otherwise and still perform the certain significantfunctionality. Such alternate definitions of both functional buildingblocks and flow diagram blocks and sequences are thus within the scopeand spirit of the claims. One of average skill in the art will alsorecognize that the functional building blocks, and other illustrativeblocks, modules and components herein, can be implemented as illustratedor by discrete components, application specific integrated circuits,processors executing appropriate software and the like or anycombination thereof.

A physical embodiment of an apparatus, an article of manufacture, amachine, and/or of a process that includes one or more embodiments mayinclude one or more of the aspects, features, concepts, examples, etc.described with herein. Further, from figure to figure, the embodimentsmay incorporate the same or similarly named functions, steps, modules,etc. that may use the same or different reference numbers and, as such,the functions, steps, modules, etc. may be the same or similarfunctions, steps, modules, etc. or different ones.

The term “module” is used in the description of the various. A moduleincludes a functional block that is implemented via hardware to performone or module functions such as the processing of one or more inputsignals to produce one or more output signals. The hardware thatimplements the module may itself operate in conjunction software, and/orfirmware. As used herein, a module may contain one or more sub-modulesthat themselves are modules.

While particular combinations of various options, methods, functions andfeatures have been expressly described herein, other combinations ofthese options, methods, functions and features are likewise possible.The various embodiments are not limited by the particular examplesdisclosed herein and expressly incorporates these other combinations.

What is claimed is:
 1. A power transmitting unit comprising: aprocessing device; a wireless power transmitting circuit, coupled to aprocessing module, configurable to transmit a wireless power signal tocharge a mobile communication device via a power receiving unit undercontrol of the processing device and in conjunction with a chargingsession with the power receiving unit; a wireless interface device,coupled to the processing device and the wireless power transmittingcircuit, wherein the wireless interface device operates under control ofthe processing device to: establish a wireless connection with the powerreceiving unit via a connection establishment procedure, wherein thewireless connection is separate from the wireless power signal; exchangecontrol data with the power receiving unit via the wireless connection,wherein the control data is usable by the processing device to implementthe charging session with the wireless power transmitting circuit; andgenerate a response to a disruption event of the power receiving unit,wherein the disruption event creates a unilateral disconnection of thewireless connection from the power receiving unit, and wherein theresponse includes implementing a restoration procedure for restoring thewireless connection without implementing the connection establishmentprocedure.
 2. The power transmitting unit of claim 1 wherein thewireless power transmitting circuit, the processing device and thewireless interface device operate as a power transmitting unit inaccordance with an Alliance for Wireless Power specification.
 3. Thepower transmitting unit of claim 1 wherein the wireless interface deviceoperates in accordance with a Bluetooth Low Energy protocol.
 4. Thepower transmitting unit of claim 1 wherein the disruption event includesa system reset of at least the processing device.
 5. The powertransmitting unit of claim 1 wherein the charging session continuesduring the disruption event.
 6. The power transmitting unit of claim 1wherein restoring the wireless connection includes restoring thewireless connection before expiration of a supervisory time out periodof the power receiving unit.
 7. The power transmitting unit of claim 6wherein the wireless connection includes a plurality of frequency hopsoccurring in a corresponding plurality of hop intervals, and whereinrestoring the wireless connection includes predicting a subsequentfrequency hop of the power receiving unit.
 8. The power transmittingunit of claim 7 wherein predicting the subsequent frequency hop includesreviewing a past frequency hop that occurred prior to the disruptionevent and predicting the subsequent frequency hop based on the pastfrequency hop and the supervisory time out period of the power receivingunit.
 9. The power transmitting unit of claim 1 wherein restoring thewireless connection includes extending a reception window of thewireless interface device beyond a standard duration used in thewireless connection.
 10. The power transmitting unit of claim 1 whereinthe wireless interface device further operates under control of theprocessing device to: determine when the restoration procedure fails torestore the wireless connection, and implementing the connectionestablishment procedure in response thereto.
 11. A method for use in apower transmitting unit, the method comprising: establishing, via awireless interface device, a wireless connection with a power receivingunit of a mobile communications device via a connection establishmentprocedure; exchanging control data, via the wireless interface device,with the power receiving unit via the wireless connection; transmittinga wireless power signal, from the power transmitting unit, via awireless power transmitting circuit, wherein the wireless power signalis separate from the wireless connection; implementing a chargingsession between the power receiving unit and the wireless powertransmitting circuit in accordance with the control data to charge thepower receiving unit; and responding, via the wireless interface device,to a disruption event of the power receiving unit, wherein thedisruption event creates a unilateral disconnection of the wirelessconnection from power receiving unit, and wherein the respondingincludes implementing a restoration procedure for restoring, via thewireless interface device, the wireless connection with the powerreceiving unit without implementing the connection establishmentprocedure.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein the charging session is inaccordance with an Alliance for Wireless Power specification.
 13. Themethod of claim 11 wherein the wireless connection is formatted inaccordance with a Bluetooth Low Energy protocol.
 14. The method of claim11 wherein the disruption event includes a system reset of the powertransmitting unit.
 15. The method of claim 11 wherein the chargingsession continues during the disruption event.
 16. The method of claim11 wherein restoring the wireless connection includes restoring thewireless connection before expiration of a supervisory time out periodof the power receiving unit.
 17. The method of claim 16 wherein thewireless connection includes a plurality of frequency hops occurring ina corresponding plurality of hop intervals, and wherein restoring thewireless connection includes predicting a subsequent frequency hop ofthe power receiving unit.
 18. The method of claim 17 wherein predictingthe subsequent frequency hop includes reviewing a past frequency hopthat occurred prior to the disruption event and predicting thesubsequent frequency hop based on the past frequency hop and thesupervisory time out period of the power receiving unit.
 19. The methodof claim 11 wherein restoring the wireless connection includes extendinga reception window beyond a standard duration used in the wirelessconnection.
 20. A power transmitting unit comprising: a wireless powertransmitting circuit, coupled to a processing module, configurable totransmit a wireless power signal to a power receiving unit of a mobilecommunication device and to charge the mobile communication device inconjunction with a charging session with the power receiving unit inaccordance with an Alliance for Wireless Power specification; a wirelessinterface device, coupled to the wireless power transmitting circuit,wherein the wireless interface device operates to: establish a wirelessconnection with the power receiving unit via a connection establishmentprocedure, wherein the wireless connection is separate from the wirelesspower signal and is formatted in accordance with a Bluetooth Low Energyprotocol; exchange control data with the power receiving unit via thewireless connection to implement the charging session with the wirelesspower transmitting circuit; and generate a response to a disruptionevent of the power receiving unit, wherein the disruption event createsa unilateral disconnection of the wireless connection from the powerreceiving unit, and wherein the response includes implementing arestoration procedure for restoring the wireless connection withoutimplementing the connection establishment procedure.